Thursday, December 27, 2012

And so, Rocketcat Games came onto the scene for Punch Quest, a ridiculous and addicting (not to mention free) side-scroller. Now they have released a new game that is similar in its detailed pixel-art style and memorable wackiness but little else. No, Mage Gauntlet is something better, in pretty much every way. What we have here is an retro-style RPG, complete with unique armors, weapons, and spells, and fused with cute characters and funny writing. The depth of the game left me pleasantly surprised, increasingly so as time went on.

The gameplay is simple and easy to pick up. It took me slightly longer to figure out the spell system but once I got the hang of it, it became apparent how useful the many different spells were. Get used to smashing enemies, as I did find myself using the sword more than the titular gauntlet that's used to cast spells. The environment is filled with little objects that can be smashed to bits, although Zelda logic has taught me that medicine and money come out of things when you smash them. This is not the case in Gauntlet, which frustrated me slightly, but this isn't so much an issue as my weird mind expecting a reward for smashing a barrel.

The amount and uniqueness of the items you acquire throughout the game is probably what surprised me the most.

The story follows a standard RPG storyline: you are the chosen one, and you must travel to find the big scary wizard to figure out why. The dialogue is funny and charming enough to keep me going, especially the broken english of the many trolls and monsters you will encounter. At $3, you might be able to find a better game, yes. You can certainly do worse, and if you're looking to sink a few hours over the break I would definitely consider giving this a shot, to encourage Rocketcat to go even further for their next game.Find it on iTunesDeveloper: Rocketcat Games